First production:The Fight
The Fight is an original stage work written and developed by Andrea Sainati and directed by Barbara Houseman. Written in English, the play represents the company’s inaugural production project.
The work explores themes of resilience, inner conflict and the transformative power of love and human connection. At the heart of the dramaturgy lie the invisible battles that shape individual experience — grief and loss, feelings of inadequacy and the fear of failure — with particular attention given to mental health and to sport as a space for discipline, personal growth and the rebuilding of the self. Within this framework, sport becomes both metaphor and dramaturgical device: a place where confronting one’s limits opens the possibility of transformation.
Through a text strongly centred on the actor’s craft and a directorial approach that combines technical precision with emotional depth, The Fight moves between moments of psychological realism and passages of lyrical reflection, engaging audiences on both an emotional and intellectual level.
The company is currently in dialogue with institutions and partners to launch a three-week Research & Development (R&D) process, scheduled to take place in London between May and June 2026. This phase will be preceded by auditions taking place in May 2026. The R&D period will serve as a structured space for dramaturgical, vocal and physical exploration, supported by the involvement of internationally experienced practitioners who will contribute to the development of the production’s stage language and the shaping of its final form.
At the end of the three-week process, a public sharing of the work will be presented to a selected audience, including venue representatives, agents, casting directors, producers and other industry professionals. The aim is to consolidate a network of artistic and production support, attract partners and co-producers, and begin the pathway towards a full production premiere in a London theatre during the 2026–2027 season.
With The Fight, DA productions begins a journey that combines artistic research, production rigour and long-term strategic vision, laying the foundations for a sustained presence within the international theatre landscape.
First Production:Key External Artistic Profiles
For the pilot production of The Fight, the company has brought together a number of internationally recognised artistic collaborators, whose expertise will play a key role in shaping the physical and directorial language of the project.
Barbara Houseman
Director & Vocal Coach
World-renowned director and voice coach with over 45 years of experience in the field, Barbara Houseman has worked with leading institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Young Vic and the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, as well as on numerous West End productions. Alongside her work in theatre, over the past 25 years she has also coached a number of internationally acclaimed actors for both stage and screen, including Kenneth Branagh, Jessie Buckley, Adrien Brody, Jude Law, Harriet Walter, Clive Owen, and Daniel Radcliffe throughout the Harry Potter saga.
In The Fight, she will lead the overall directorial process while guiding the vocal and textual exploration of the work, ensuring interpretative rigour, technical precision and dramaturgical coherence.
Macin Rudy
Movement Director
Movement director, performer, actor and movement lecturer, Marcin Rudy has presented his work in 22 countries across five continents. His performances have taken place at venues including the National Theatre, the Barbican Centre, Wilton’s Music Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Odéon – Théâtre de l’Europe in Paris, the Taipei National Theater, La MaMa New York and the Teatro Mercadante in Naples.
His contribution to the project will focus on the exploration of the physical language of the production and the development of a dramaturgy of the body capable of supporting the emotional and narrative journey of the characters.
Lawrence Carmichaer
Fight & Intimacy Coordinator
With more than 25 years of experience across theatre, film and television, Lawrence works as an actor, performer and fight & intimacy coordinator on productions ranging from national opera and major theatre companies to West End productions, feature films and television.
For The Fight, he will oversee all stage combat and intimacy scenes, ensuring high standards of safety, technical precision and expressive authenticity — elements that are central to a work exploring themes of vulnerability, conflict and transformation.